Tried a thermal paste trick from an old forum and my temps went up, not down

I was working on a gaming PC build for a client in Austin, using a Noctua NH-D15 cooler. I read that putting a tiny dot of paste in the center of the CPU and letting the cooler spread it was the best method. So I did exactly that, used a pea-sized amount of Arctic MX-4. Booted it up and the idle temps were 10 degrees Celsius higher than expected. I had to take it all apart and reapply with the spreader tool, which fixed it. Has anyone else had a simple paste method backfire on a specific cooler?

3 comments

3 Comments

sarah81816d ago

That pea-sized dot method never worked for me either. Always end up using the spreader.

terryw6716d ago

Honestly @sarah818, it's just moisturizer. I never got why people make such a big deal about the exact amount. My face feels dry, I put some on. If it's a little too much, I just rub it in more or wipe the extra on my hands.

tara_patel16d ago

Yeah that dot method is a gamble. Some coolers just don't have enough mounting pressure to spread it right.